Monday, August 20, 2007

When I first moved to Toronto in the late 80's, I spent the first few years as a live-in nanny for a family with whom I had an outrageous amount of fun. If you can believe how great this was, each summer they went up to the Georgian Bay area north of Toronto to spend a week at their family cottage. And they brought me with them! And paid me my week's salary to basically be on vacation with them.

Sure, technically I was there to still keep an eye on the little girl, but in reality her mom was on duty and I think she just wanted me to have an opportunity to have some fun with them. Which I did!

Here is the poem that resulted from the first visit:

McGregor Bay

The envelope is openedAnd the breeze chilled with rainOpens on my skin as ISeparate the double prints

Slimed sunscreen and MuskolReturns to my skinRemembering becomesThe rustle of the pinesThe hollow thunk of deck shoe on root

The hanging schools of rock bassUnder the shadow of the boatSharing the lakeI emerged fromDripping

The pictures time tunnel meB-52 bomber drone of deerfliesInterrupt the pleasant gigglingOf blueberries hiddenIn the springy shrubsAs they give themselves awayTo be cradled in my hand like jewels

Smoke erupting skywardWine poured on skewered grillLake swallowing CD strainsAnd after the baby's safely asleepTo think we piled around that tiny screenWhen we could haveSacrificed some bloodFor a look at the star showPlaying this location only